Ten points we picked up from Hillary Clinton’s publication What Happened

Clintons memoir holds back little, from her disgust with Donald Trump and his divisive campaign, to what was running through her mind on election night

Hillary Clinton's memoir of her defeat to Donald Trump in the 2016 election has stimulated headlines across the globe for its candid reflections on one of the most memorable campaigns in US history.

Be it her abhorrence with Trump and his divisive campaign, or lingering wounds from her bruising primary with Bernie Sanders, Clinton holds little back in the 469 -page What Happened.

Below are 10 notable anecdotes from Clinton's book that shed light on everything from her humorous interactions at Trump's inauguration to what was operating through her intellect as research results poured in on election night.

Attending Trump's wedding

As Trump sought the Republican nomination for chairwoman, a photo of the real estate mogul posing with the Clintons at his 2005 wedding to Melania Trump became infamous. Trump's Republican opponents circulated the image to underscore his past donations to Democrats and his more liberal-leaning views.

In the early pages of the book, Clinton explains the photo and her previous rapport with Trump 😛 TAGEND

” I had known Donald Trump for years, but never imagined he'd be standing on the steps of the Capitol taking the oath of office as president of the United States. He was a fixture on the New York scene when I was a Senator- like a lot of big-shot real estate guys in the city, only more flamboyant and self-promoting.

” In 2005, he invited us to his bridal to Melania in Palm Beach, Florida. We weren't friends, so I presumed he wanted as much star power as he could get. Bill happened to be speaking in the area that weekend, so we decided to go. Why not? I thought it would be a fun, gaudy, over-the-top spectacle, and I was right. I attended the ceremony, then met Bill for the reception at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. We had our photo taken with the bride and groom and left .”

Abedin” appeared stricken” by the news, Clinton writes.” Anthony had already caused so much sorrow. And now this .”

” This human is going to be the death of me ,” Abedin said, breaking down in tears.

Clinton hugged and consoled her aide, who started out with her as a 19 -year-old intern in the early 1990 s.

” After more than twenty years working with Huma, I think the world of her, and seeing her in such distress broke my heart … In the working day that followed, some people thought I should fire Huma or' distance myself .' Not a chance. She had done nothing incorrect and was an invaluable member of my team. I stuck by her the same route she has always stuck by me .”

” We decided it was exciting but not realistic, and left it on the shelf. That was the responsible decision. I wonder now whether we should have thrown caution to the wind and embraced' Alaska for America' as a long-term aim and figured out the details later .”

” If we believe what we've said for the past six months about the dangers this guy poses to our country, then you can't act like that's not true anymore ,” Clinton writes of their argument.” People are frightened and worried about what he'll do to their families. They want to hear from you.

” A spirited debate ensued. Eventually I asked the speechwriters to take another fissure at a draft that was shorter and more gracious but not sugarcoated .”

When all was said and done, Clinton writes, it was just her and Bill.

” Bill was watching Trump's speech on television. He couldn't believe it. Neither could I. Eventually everyone left, and it was just us. I hadn't exclaimed yet, wasn't sure if I would. But I felt deeply and throughly depleted, like I hadn't slept in 10 years. We lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Bill took my hand, and we just lay there .”